Abstract

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0044848604002601?via%3Dihub

The availability of bath sponges has been recently reduced due to the depletion of natural banks due to the high fishing pressure together with some local epidemic events.

The availability of bath sponges has been recently reduced due to the depletion of natural banks due to the high fishing pressure together with some local epidemic events. At present, the commercial supply is far below the demand. The main purpose of this work was to estimate the rearing performance of Spongia officinalis var. adriatica, one of the most common Mediterranean commercial sponges, testing two different variants of culture on suspended ropes: a horizontal system placed close to the seabed, and a vertical system extended along the water column. The trials were carried out in Southern Italy (Ionian coast of Apulia, Central Mediterranean) from April 1997 to April 2000. Wild specimens of sponge were cut into pieces of different weight to test possible differences in growth and survival. During the study period, both systems resisted deterioration due to water movement and other ecological factors.